Reclaiming T.E. Lawrence from hype and legend, James Schneider offers a reexamination of this leader's critical role in shaping the modern Middle East. Just how did an obscure British junior intelligence officer, unschooled in the art of war, become "Lawrence of Arabia" and inspire a cluster of desert tribes to band together against their Turkish overlords? Weaving quotations from Lawrence's own writings with the histories of his greatest campaigns, Schneider shows how this stranger in a strange land evolved over time into the model of the self-reflective leader who seeks to empower his followers.

"Pairing a sweeping, compelling narrative of the Arab revolt with a piercing and intimate psychological portrait, Guerrilla Leader brings Lawrence to life for contemporary readers."—Craig M. Mullaney